Kelsey Hughen to Release New EP RABBIT HOLE

Austin-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Hughen self-releases her second EP Rabbit Hole on Friday, October 16, 2026. The EP is composed of six original songs exploring the idea of embracing the multi-dimensionality of being human – that we can hold many feelings and experiences at once from light and dark, uncertainty and yearning, grief and hope, and rage and softness. Within these songs there is an evolution of self and a sturdiness that comes from stepping into one's power.

'These songs are from a chunk of my life where I was doing a lot of self reflection and exploration,' Kelsey said. 'I was living in Scotland and being informed by my experiences and the landscape there. And then I came back to Austin and was then informed by a whole new chapter of my life there as well. I am really interested in exploring the juxtapositions of things - uncertainty and yearning, rage and softness - the balance of holding many feelings at once and my work is to try to experience them without labeling them right or wrong, or good or bad.'

The first two tracks, Holier Than Human (Prelude) and Holier than Human, are presented as a duo that introduces the unique world-building in Kelsey's lyrics. Holier Than Human (Prelude) sets the scene by describing a moment that feels connected to something divine and greater than oneself, and builds to a euphoric climax of sound that transforms the earthly into the ethereal.

Diving straight into the second track, Holier Than Human's scene takes place on a theatrical stage. Parallel worlds emerge through the unique microcosm of connection that is created on stage (between performers/castmates and the audience), plus an evolving romance happening simultaneously. As one dances about these worlds, there is an underpinned message that all things must come to an end, including this present moment.

Tables Have Turned is a declaration of feminine power. Of taking up space, reclaiming one's power and building up a fortress around one's own boundaries and energy. The lyrics dismantle and unravel old fairytale tropes in which the woman must shapeshift and make herself smaller for a man, illustrated with lyrical references to 'Alice in Wonderland' (I'm the queen of the hearts and you can't play her) and 'Beauty and the Beast' (it is time's oldest tale, but I'm tearing the pages out, and I will leave you here with this sick flavor in the mouth of the beast).

Lay Down Your Heart is a deeply personal reflection on loving someone who is experiencing loss and grief. There's a tenderness and vulnerability in offering to hold space for and beside this person (You don't have to fill the emptiness, the spaces in-between, and If it's patience that you need, I've got the time). The song reaches out to say 'you're not alone in this,' and at the same time portrays a solely unique experience of loneliness and sense of helplessness that arises from one person sitting outside another's deeply personal experience of grief – wanting so desperately to help, but knowing that there's nothing that can take away their heartache and choosing to be there anyway.

Waves is a love letter to Scotland and its landscapes. While holding emotions of uncertainty and yearning, the song romanticizes the possibility of a life there with someone: Steam train goes by and I wanna ride it / Rosewood and sea salt I wanna dive in / Land in this world, could it be ours / Or did I ever even fit here with you, anyhow?

Kelsey turns Monet's 'Water Lilies' into its own kind of Grimm's fairy tale in Rabbit Hole, imagining an abstract, darker underworld (think Moulin Rouge meets a Tim Burton fantastical burlesque club) under the French painter's famous waterlilies. There's musical color-play as the world opens with blues and greens, then diving down into reds and sparkling gold just as Alice falls down the rabbit hole, in 'Alice in Wonderland.' This song suggests that there is more to the story than what lies on the surface and that part of being human is embracing the light and the dark within ourselves.

Kelsey will launch the EP with a live show on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. at Pete's Candy Store in NYC and on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Parker Jazz Club in Austin, TX.

About Kelsey Hughen

Enraptured by Celtic storytelling traditions and theatrical character-driven narratives, Austin-based singer-songwriter Kelsey Hughen builds worlds with her songs that are both intimate and cinematic. Blending a sound that sits cozily between indie pop and sweeping soundtrack, Kelsey is captivated by themes of self reflection and exploration, often looking beneath the surface or facade for deeper meaning and connection.

Kelsey began her musical training at the age of five taking part in multiple choral groups. Her musical tastes were wide-varied, ranging from a love of showtunes to the Great American songbook, pop, oldies and film scores. In high school she found herself gravitating to female singer-songwriters like Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, KT Tunstall, and Regina Spektor.

Her ongoing evolution as a singer and storyteller led Kelsey to leave Austin for NYC where she recorded and released her first EP in 2019 with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign. Her clear-toned voice and whimsical stories interwoven with charming melodies made Kelsey an instant favorite at Rockwood Music Hall where she became a regular performer over the years she spent in NYC and shared the stage with fellow singer-songwriter, Johnny Cuomo, and Riverdance fiddler, Pat Mangan.

After five years in NYC Kelsey made her way back to Austin where she had a residency at the Parker Jazz Club (2019-2020). In 2023 she made her musical theatre debut in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Georgetown Palace Theatre, followed by The Sound of Music, in which she had the joy of playing Liesl von Trapp. She was featured twice on CBS's We Are Austin, including an in-studio performance performing her single, Welcome Home.

Kelsey's music and nomadic spirit have taken her around the US, Europe, and the UK. In recent years, Kelsey's love for Celtic storytelling and musical culture led her to Edinburgh, Scotland where she performed at Natami Gallery in 2022, and to Breda, Netherlands where she opened for acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter, Daniel Docherty, at Mezz in 2025. Kelsey returned to NYC's Cassette for a show in 2025 and will return again to Pete's Candy Store for the release of her second EP Rabbit Hole in October, 2026.

Kelsey's music explores the multi-dimensionality of being human, the ways in which we can be and hold multiple feelings and experiences at once. Her music is self released, including Rabbit Hole (2026) and her debut EP with some of her most notable hits including Welcome Home which was recorded at StudioWest in San Diego and is accompanied by a video produced by Foreword Films. Another popular single from her debut EP, House on a Hilltop, was described as 'easily one of the sincerest love songs to hit the airwaves this year. The way it captures the security of love that frees us is just beyond beautiful' (A&R Factory).

Rabbit Hole Tracklist

1. Holier Than Human (Prelude) [1:23]

2. Holier Than Human [1:49]

3. Tables Have Turned [4:21] (*explicit language used)

4. Waves [4:25]

5. Lay Down Your Heart [4:34]

6. Rabbit Hole [4:34]

Total Run Time: [19:86]

Artists

Kory Burrell, bass, piano, synths, acoustic guitar, clarinet

Jesse Morvan, eclectic guitar, trumpet

Colum Enrique, drums

Gabe Miller, violin

Album Credits

Produced & Mixed by Kory Burrell

Mastered by Jesse Morvan

Recorded at Kory Burrell Recording Studio in Ridgewood, Queens, NY between 2024-2026

Original Songs by Kelsey Hughen

Album Artwork & Promotional Photography by Sarah Annie Photography

Album Design by Chandler Johnson

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